MDCA

Athens pushing for reference to Greek sovereign rights

Athens pushing for reference to Greek sovereign rights

As Greece and the US prepare to sign a five-year extension to their Mutual Defense Cooperation Agreement (MDCA), Athens appears to be pushing for a reference to Greek sovereign rights in the text that will accompany or follow the signing of the new deal.

According to sources, the text, a letter from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, will set a broader political framework for Greece-US cooperation on all levels. A reference to Greek sovereign rights is likely to include a call for respect to the International Law of the Sea and the obligations that derive from it. Athens expects to see a phraseology that will include the wider region.

The previous two letters, by Mike Pompeo in January 2020 and Henry Kissinger in 1975, are benchmarks for Greek foreign policy, and Athens wants a corresponding text that would indicate US commitment to Greek security.

The signing comes amid a fresh wave of provocative statements from Ankara regarding the status of the Aegean and the East Mediterranean.

 

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